Wayang (Krama Javanese: Ringgit, "shadow"), also known as Wajang, is a form of puppet theatre

art found in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia,[1] wherein a dramatic story is told through
shadows thrown by puppets and sometimes combined with human characters.[2][3] The art form
celebrates the Indonesian culture and artistic talent, its origins are traced to medieval era spread of
Hinduism and the arrival of leather-based puppet arts called Tholu bommalata from southern
India.[2][4][5]
Wayang refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to
as wayang.[6] Performances of shadow puppet theatre are accompanied by a gamelan orchestra
in Java, and by gender wayang in Bali. The dramatic stories play out mythologies, such as episodes
from the Hindu epics the Ramayana, the Mahabharata as well as local adapations of cultural
legends.[2][3][5] Traditionally, a wayang is played out in a ritualized midnight to dawn show by
a dalang an artist and spiritual leader, and people watch the show from both sides of the screen.[2][3]
UNESCO designated wayang kulit, a shadow puppet theatre and the best known of
the Indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 7
November 2003. In return for the acknowledgment, UNESCO required Indonesians to preserve their
heritage.[7] Wayang has also been a significant historical art form
in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.[1][8][note 1]